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Is bootlegging really so bad?
Confession time. My first copy of Final Cut was a bootlegged copy of 2.0. My first copy of photoshop was a bootleg of 7. However, it was working in these pirated copies (which I was reluctant to try because of cost) that convinced me to bite the bullet and purchase licensed copies during the next cycle (CS and FCP 3).
I have a feeling I am not the only one to use this methodology. A lot of folks think that Adobe’s move to the cloud is in part to eliminate this type of piracy (though we are assured the cloud will be cracked a couple of weeks into CC7).
I think FCPX eliminated some of this piracy situation with pricing. However, with Adobe, I’m not sure this methodology is going to work in their favor. I mean is having pirated copies out there really all that bad for the bottom line? The people who use pirated copies (and I am guessing on this) are the folks that couldn’t afford or were reluctant to spend for the licensed copy in the first place.
Having pirated copies out there leads to a lot more people getting their hands dirty in certain pricey software and may (as in my case) lead to a paying customer down the road.
Am I wrong on this? Missing the boat completely? Any thoughts?
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93 Replies
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It seems everyone these days offers fully functioning 30-day demos so that should address those that truly want to evaluate the software before they pony up the cashing to pay for it.
Things like subscription services and the Apple’s App Store will stop casual “Hey, can I borrow your disc of XYZ?” type piracy but it won’t cut down on cracked versions nor hacks. There are already hacks floating around that will ‘un-lock’ the 30-day demos as well as versions of FCPX that can be installed w/o using the App Store.
I will admit to enrolling in a night class shortly after graduating college so I could get the student discount on FCP 3.
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Not that I am as pure as the driven snow in this regard, I still think it’s just like robbing a 7-11.
Tim
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It’s not just having a few pirated copies out there, it’s developing one of the most pirated softwares in the world, essentially for free, for all of those people. This is an important distinction.
My first copy of FCP was given to me “on loan” as well, and then I bought it.
It was also a time before free downloadable trials.
When you move from hobbyist to someone who needs to support your family with these tools, you will feel differently as you won’t want your paycheck “bootlegged” either.
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Are creative pro’s really debating if bootlegging is ok?
Try this – you shoot a beauty reel of a city (say Washington DC) and offer it for sale on the web (a license to use it) but millions “borrow” it for free until they decide, “hey this is useful, I’m making money with it, why don’t i finally give the owner some money?”
How long will you stay in business with that bootleg model?
Where I live, we call that theft.
Andy Field
FieldVision Productions
N. Bethesda, Maryland 20852 -
[Jeremy Garchow] “When you move from hobbyist to someone who needs to support your family with these tools, you will feel differently as you won’t want your paycheck “bootlegged” either.”
Love your snide devaluation of my post. Not sure how my being a “hobbyist” or bootlegs of expensive software (I am sure families of Adobe execs aren’t eating table scraps) takes a dime out of your pocket.
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Here’s what happens when you give the people what they want for a fair price:
https://www.slashgear.com/netflix-piracy-rate-goes-down-when-we-arrive-03280546/
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[Andy Field] “How long will you stay in business with that bootleg model?”
Yeah all the bootlegging of Adobe software has sure put them at risk as a company.
Boy, I touched a nerve with this one.
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[TImothy Auld] “Not that I am as pure as the driven snow in this regard, I still think it’s just like robbing a 7-11.”
No, it’s more like downloading blueprints and printing your own copy of the products that 7-11 carries.
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[Clint Wardlow] “Love your snide devaluation of my post.”
It’s not a snide devaluation of your post. You are asking if theft is bad.
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[Andy Field] “How long will you stay in business with that bootleg model? Where I live, we call that theft.”
Welcome to the world in which we live, where everything that can be copied, will be copied.
It’s called “copyright infringement” legally…because if I “steal” something from you, you do not have the ability to use what I took from you anymore…if I simply make a perfect copy, you still have use of yours.
Besides, what if I take the exact same shots of Washington DC and put it up on the web for free? How would that be any different as an end result? Should I be legally prohibited from doing so?
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